


Will Power

by penbet10



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: My head hurts, don't tear me a new one, first fic, maybe shippy?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 18:31:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17208686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penbet10/pseuds/penbet10
Summary: Natsume gets invited to another dangerous job. Multiple people are not happy.This was the first semi-coherent "anime" dream i've ever had.





	Will Power

Natsume walked home, another school day behind him, another myriad of yokai wanting their names, or revenge, or both. By now he was tired, ready to get home, take off his uniform and rest. But as he turned the bend of his home’s fence he saw it. 

The shapeless mass of a black yokai, calligraphy on a piece of paper for a mask. Natsume’s body tensed, fear climbed up his spine. He shifted to a poker face and walked towards it. At this the yokai began to rustle, Natsume quickly stopped, waiting to see how it would attack. But instead, from its inky mass it produced a white envelope and held it out to him with a small appendage. Natsume swallowed, and with a quivering hand took the envelope. As soon as he made contact with the paper, the yokai spirited away into the sky and vanished. Quickly Natsume stuffed the paper into his pant pocket and rushed inside the Fujiwara home. 

A short greeting to Touko-San, and he locked the door to his room, Nyanko-Sensei nowhere in sight. Natsume pulled out the envelope. It was a perfectly sealed rectangle, he could feel something inside, but it held no seams. Was he supposed to tear it open, how had it been closed? Turning it around he found the characters for the Matoba clan written in small black ink. Gently he ran a thumb over it, at this the letters glowed, and the paper opened into a single sheet. Nothing but a date, location, and time were written in it. 

Natsume grew frustrated, what did Matoba Seiji want with him? He had thought they had both agreed they liked each other better from a distance. Natsume did not want to meet the dangerous man again, he knew him to be unnecessarily cruel and conniving when it benefited him. But what if something really bad had happened? So bad that Matoba had to go to Natsume for help, and here he was being selfish. He would go, at least hear him out, and leave if it was dangerous.

“So we’re going?” Natsume jumped, dropping the envelope and looked to the sound. Nyanko-Sensei sat perched on the window sill. “I know that face. You go through that same face journey every time some weak yokai asks you for help.” Nyanko-Sensei pounced down and looked at the letter. “But I didn’t think it included someone as slimy as that Matoba guy.”

“I’m just going to see what he wants...” Natsume sighed, snatching the letter out of the cat’s paws. 

“And by then you’re already involved,” the cat yawned. “Wake me up for dinner.”

The day written on the letter arrived, it was several cities away. Natsume told them he was going to meet Natori-San. That would at least cover why he was going a ways out. With Nyanko-Sensei resting on his shoulder, he slowly climbed up a wooded hill. The forest around him was quiet. No yokai scurried around, no birds called out, not even the leaves rustled. 

Soon shimenawa sacred ropes began to appear hanging from branch to branch, the shide papers hanging stiffly. 

“Figures...” Nyanko-Sensei mumbled, shuffling on Natsume’s shoulder. 

At last they approached the tall gate of a villa, as expected ‘Matoba’ written on the nameplate. The doors opened, a yokai similar to the one who had brought him the letter stood there. Even without eyes, it seemed to stare at Natsume, turned and began walking away. “I think we follow it,” Natsume whispered to the cat. 

The followed the creature though a series of winding halls and empty rooms until they were lead to a large meeting hall. Inside was filled with people and yokai, standing, talking and waiting. They were all exorcists, it seemed Matoba had not only summoned him here. The hall’s doors closed behind him. Some faces turned, some turning back away, others shifting. Natsume began walking trying to find the nearest wall to hide by. He heard the whispers, 

“Isn’t that Natori-San’s apprentice?”

“No i’m sure i’ve seen him with Matoba-Sama.”

“Didn’t he have a giant white yokai beast with him?”

Natsume kept his eyes forward, he heard everyone around him, but tried not react to anything. “Maybe I should have worn a mask like some of the others, Sensei.”

“It’s too late now kid. That’s what you get for running around everywhere.” 

Natsume leaned against a wall, his eyes staring straight forward, trying to disappear. Hoping, this would be nothing and he could leave. He shouldn’t have come. Maybe he could exit quietly. With so many people here, surly Matoba was fine.

“What are you doing here?”

Natsume shifted, Natori stood before him, glasses on, Hiragi standing to his side. 

“Did Matoba call you here too? Or did you manage to sneak in?”

“I...uh...got a letter. I thought something was wrong.” Natsume said. His nervousness shifted from being watched to being seemingly scolded.

“You know Matoba can be dangerous. I’ve told you, you can come to me if something is wrong.” Natori rubbed his temple, “Stay near me or Hiragi.”

“He’s got me too ya know.” Madara grumbled.

“I know.”

The room quickly became quiet, mumble ceasing. Matoba Seiji, followed by Nanase walked to the front of the hall. 

“I thank you for all coming here, at such a sudden time,” He paused, scanning the room. His eyes meet and locked with Natsume’s. He turned back to the main mass, “You see, I have called you all here for help on a job.”

Whispers began. For the Matoba clan to call on so many exorcists for a job, it had to be something serious. 

“I have received a request from a very important benefactor.” At this the talking stopped. “A large mansion to the north seems to have a serious infestation of multiple dangerous yokai. Several exorcists have been called, they have all been seriously injured or killed.”

Had it been possible, the crowd would have grown quieter. 

“Should this problem not be removed, it will only get worse. I have received reports that the yokai are beginning to seek victims in the town nearby it. Due to the amount of yokai, it is not safe to go in alone to find the source. Before one yokai has been sealed, another will have already killed you. This is why many exorcists must enter together.”

This was bad, Natori thought. Matoba had called on Natsume too. Did he seriously think Natsume could stand a chance? Sure he had the calico with him, but he didn’t know how to repel demons. He was too kind hearted, he would try to find a peaceful solution. By what Matoba had said so far, that mindset was not a safe one to have. 

“You do not have to aid us but I assure you, those who make it out will be heavily compensated, and the prestige alone is nothing to scoff at.” Again murmurs, exorcists looked to each other. Some excited, others afraid.

“Natsume you have to go home, you can’t stay. This is isn’t safe and I’m sure there is something Matoba is hiding.” Natori turned to Natsume, ready to drive him home himself. Natsume looked up at him, eyes steeled.

“Natori-San...people are getting hurt. And I can’t trust Matoba to be fair in this situation.”

“I know, but if you go, you’ll get hurt too. I’ll go, I’ll keep an eye on Matoba.”

“Like you said it’s dangerous, I want to help. I can’t stay behind while you or somebody else could get hurt!”

“What if you get hurt? Do you really want to worry the Fujiwaras? Your friends?” Natori was growing irritated. 

Natsume was about to retort, “Natsume-San.” Matoba had come from some shadow, and now stood in front of him. “I’m glad to see you were able to make it to this gathering.”

“Why did you call on him?” Natori asked, “ You know he isn’t trained as an exorcist. What are you playing at?”

“Come now, do you really think young Natsume has no potential?” Matoba smiled. 

“What do you want with him?” Natori clenched his fists.

“I could ask you the same question,” Matoba retorted.

“Natori-san, thank you for your concern, but i’ve made up my mind. I’m not doing this to help Matoba-San,” Natsume quickly glared at an apathetic Matoba. “People are getting hurt. And I want to get stronger, I want to do something.”

“Excellent decision, Natsume-San.” Matoba smiled again and swiftly walked away. 

“I guess, as usual, I can’t change your mind. But whatever happens stay close, don’t run off on your own and don’t talk to strange yokai.” Natori frowned.

“Natori-San, I’m not a small child. I know all this.” Natsume grumbled.

“You sure act like it sometimes,” Nyanko-Sensei purred. 

And so Natsume called the Fujiwara to let them know he would be staying the weekend with Natori. It was not a complete lie, Natori would be with him. It had been decided that the volunteering group would head out and meet in the morning outside the mansion grounds the next day. 

Natori took Natsume to an inn, refusing to be a guest at the Matoba villa. Upon arrival to their shared room, he spent the rest of the day creating talismans and preparing supplies. Natsume sat by the window. He was scared. He had been in many dangerous situations before, but this seemed different. He knew his going was a bad idea, but something gnawed inside him, telling him to go. He had to go. At least he had Nyanko-Sensei and Natori-San with him. 

Natori hadn’t wanted him to go, that had hurt him. He had made friend who saw the same things as him, a friend who understood his motives. Natsume understood Natori’s concern, but he wanted to improve. His grandmother had such strong spiritual powers, she had been able to control them, to help others. He was happy Natori had finally relented though, trusted him. How could he learn to protect those he cared for, those people who had been so caring and understanding of him, if he never dealt with this. 

“You should go to bed Natsume. Tomorrow is going to be... busy.” Natori called from across the room.

Natsume turned to him, and started walking towards the bed rolls, “You should too, Natori-San.”

The next morning Natori awoke to an empty bed roll to his side. He shot up, looking everywhere. “He stepped out with his fat tanuki for breakfast.” Hiragi had appeared from a corner. Natori sighed, quickly he got dressed and went out to look for the two.

He began walking, arriving to the inn’s garden. To a distance he saw Natsume, kneeling over a pond. Suddenly Natsume dunked his upper torso into the water. Natori ran over, jumping over sand gardens to get to him. Natsume came out with a gasp, he held something in his hand. Whatever it was he handed it with a smile to a small mouse yokai that stood at the water’s edge. The yokai jumped around with joy and scurried away. Natsume turned and saw Natori standing there bewildered and breathless.

“A yokai asked me for help.” Natsume said matter-of-factly as he began squeezing water out of his shirt. 

Natori frowned. “Have you ate?”

Natsume shook his head. “Go dry up, i’ll have food brought to our room and then we can head out.”

Natori sat at a table with food when Natsume returned to the room. “Natsume, Nyanko-Sensei, eat. We need the energy.”

Natsume sat down, and began to eat. Nyanko-Sensei wolfed down the food next to him. He looked up to Natori. He held chopsticks but he didn’t eat. He merely smiled back at him. Suddenly Nyanko-Sensei thudded to the floor, Natsume turned to him but began getting dizzy. The last thing Natsume saw before his vision went black, was Natori standing up and walking towards him. 

His head hurt and he felt numb. He tried opening his eyes, but it seemed to bright. “Wake up kid. That friend of yours drugged us.” Nyanko-Sensei called to him from the darkness.

This time Natsume was able to open his eyes. His hands and legs were bound with spiritual paper. Looking around, he found himself lying next to his cat in the middle of some type of circle. Symbols that he had seen in Natori’s books were encircling them. Everytime he tried to move, the symbols glowed and pushed down again.

“We’re bound, I can’t break the seal in this form though.” Nyanko-Sensei struggled against the paper bonds, failing continuously. 

Natsume was confused and angry and upset. Why was he bound? Why had Natori-San bound him? Did he really not trust in him to be helpful? The more he thought about it the more angrier and sadder he got. At this point he wasn’t listening to the cat struggling beside him. Natsume began to fight the binds harder, tears beginning to well. With an anguished cry the paper tore, the circle flashed, and a harsh wind poured out from within blowing everything in the room to the walls. 

Natsume stood up, wiping a tear from his eye. Nyanko-Sensei jumped up to his shoulder.  
“Let’s go find Natori-San.” With that they left through the window, Nyanko-Sensei now transformed into his bestial form. They flew through the early dawn, Madara following the scent of Natori, Natsume feeling for the presence of gathering exorcists. 

Half an hour later they touched down on the front ground of what looked like an old mansion. A light miasma veiled the grounds, only parked cars inhabited the exterior. Natsume climbed off Madara. He winced at the miasma, but began walking towards the front door. 

The door was partially open, a thick malignant presence engulfed Natsume and Nyanko-Sensei. It almost pushed him back, but he forced himself forward. He was too upset to let it faze him. Chaos seemed to have ensued within the entrance. Wood was splintered, blood spattered the walls, shreds of papers lazily shifted along the floor. A cold sweat began on Natsume’s neck, but he stepped forward. Something beneath his foot crunched. He looked down to see a pair of broken eyeglasses. He picked them up, quickly realizing who they belonged to it. 

The walls began to shudder, a gust of wind blew at Natsume as a shrieking noh yokai flew at him. He could see tattered seals and paper figures sticking to its body. Clutching Natori’s glasses in one hand, he lifted his fist ready to connect with the yokai. But even before contact was made, mere inches from his fist, the noh mask cracked, sending the yokai disappearing into the air. 

“You’re hands bleeding.” Madara mused, nonchalant to the tremendous spiritual energy that had just emanated from the boy. 

Natsume looked at his hand, he had gripped the glasses so hard, that the cracked glass had cut him. “We need to continue,” he said wiping his hand off.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if there is grammer mistakes, its late and my head hurts.  
> Considering a second part, is there a demand?
> 
> I'm not dead, school's just mean. I'll update when my quarter is over sorry.


End file.
